Pruning implement.



- PATENTEDMAR. 21; 1905.

No. 785,109. I J. M. KING.

PRUNING IMPLEMENT.

'APPLIQATION FILED 13130.8,1903.

1 ziiulr Patented March 21, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. KING, OF NEBRASKA CITY, NEBRASKA.

PRUNING IMPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,109, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed December 8, 1903- Serial No. 184,292.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, JAMES M. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nebraska City, in the county of Otoe and State of N ebraska, have invented a new and useful Pruning Implement, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to that class of implements in which a shearing action upon the limbs to be cut is obtained and wherein the cutter usually comprises pivoted members that embrace and sever such limbs.

One of the objects is to provide a simple instrument of this character that will have the desirable shear cut, but will sever the limb from above, thereby avoiding the pinching and perhaps bending of the blade and at the same time, by the bending of the limb, obtaining the openin of the out to permit the free action of the b ade.

A still further obj ect is to provide, in combination with a cutter, a limb-clearing device which may be securely clamped upon a branch without cutting the same.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion ofthe mechanism, showing the improved combination of elements. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but partly in section and showing the parts in slightly-different relation. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the implement. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a slightly-modified form of cutter.-

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawin s.

ln the structure illustrated a standard 6 is employed, to the upper end and on opposite 7 sides of which are secured spaced arms 7, that converge toward their upper ends, as illustrated in Fig. 3. An actuating-rod 8 isemployed in connection with a standard and has its upper ends bifurcated, as shown at 9. In this bifurcation is pivoted the lower end of a shank 10, having contiguous to its pivotal connection a guide-ring 11, that slidably embraces the standard 6. The upper end of the shank 10 is provided with an overhanging curved hook 12, having a depending bill 13, that curves inwardly toward the shank 10 and forms therewith a limb-receiving mouth 14, the inner curved face of the bill constituting a seat for the limb.

A stem 16 constitutes the connection between the hook and arm 7 of the standard, this stem having at one end an enlarged blade 17, the upper end of which is pivoted, as shown at 18, to the uppermost portion of the hook. The blade has a curved cutting edge 19, that is movable diagonally downward across the mouth 14 and the seat 15, coacting with the bill 18. It will be observed that this blade operates against one face of the hook 12 and that therefore there is little danger of its becoming distorted so as to bite into the inner edge of the bill 13. In order to strengthen the pivotal connection 18, a bracket 20 is secured to the shank 10 and is located on the side of the blade opposite said shank and hook. The shank 16 is pivoted contiguous to its rear end, as shown at 21, to and between the upper ends of the arms 7. It, however, projects beyond said arms, and

the terminal is in the form of a depending holding-hook 22, that curves downwardly and inwardly toward the arms, being movable therebetween to constitute therewith a limb-clamp. The coacting edges of the arms and holding-hook are blunt or, in other words, non-cutting, so that a limb clamped therebetween will not be severed or materially injured.

A slight modification of the stem-holding hook and cutting-blade is illustrated in Fig. 5. The stem is there designated as 16, the blade 17 being located at one end and upstanding. This blade has a curved cutting edge 19, and it will be apparent that if employed in the place of the structure illustrate in the first four figures the action will be substantially the same. The hook 22 is the same as that already described.

In cutting a limb the parts are first disposed as illustrated in Fig. 1 and the hook 12 is placed upon the limb to be cut. The standard 6 is then drawn downwardly, whereupon the cutting edge will be moved diagonally down across the limb-receiving mouth and will give a shearing cut across the limb, beginning at the upper portion of the same.

Furthermore, said limb will be pressed into the seat 15, formed by the curved bill of the hook, and held against disassociation from the implement. As the cutter progresses through the wood the limb will of course bend, thereby spreading the cut and permitting the free movement of the blade. In case it is desired to bend a limb downwardly or pull it as a whole from the tree the hook 22 is placed over the same and the parts are manipulated so that said limb will be securely clamped between the arms 7 and said hook. By this arrangement no cutting action will take place.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a pruning implement, the combination with a member having an upstanding shank provided with an overhanging hook, said hook having a depending bill that forms with the shank an upwardly-extending limbreceiving mouth, of a cutter including a blade pivoted upon the hook directly above the mouth and having a cutting edge that is movable diagonally downward across the mouth and coacts with the depending bill of the hook, said bill having its free terminal inturned forming on the inner side of said bill and within the mouth a lateral recess constituting a seat in which the limb is held by the cutter during the movement of the latter across the mouth. 7

2. In a pruning implement, the combination with a standard, of a hook movable with respect to the standard, an arm attached to the standard and projecting beyond the same, said arm comprising spaced bars, and a stem pivoted at its ends respectively to the aforementioned hook and arm, said stem having at one end a blade that coacts with said hook and having at its other end a depending inwardly-curved hook that projects beyond the adjacent pivot and is movable between the bars of the arm below the pivot to 'form a limb-holding clamp.

3. In a pruning implement, the combination with a standard, of spaced upstanding arms mounted upon the upper end of the standard, an actuating-rod, a shank pivoted to the upper end of the actuating-rod and carrying a ring that slidably embraces the standard, an overhanging cutting-hook carried by the upper end of the shank and having a depending bill, a stem having a cutting-blade at one end that is pivoted at its upper end to the upper portion of the cutting-hook and has a cutting edge coacting with the bill of the hook, the other end of the stem having a pivotal connection with and between the upper ends of the arms, said latter end being provided with a downwardly extending curved holding-hook that is movable between the arms and forms therewith a limb-holding clamp.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. KING.

Witnesses:

A. L. TIMBLIN, C. P. LOGAN. 

